Shipping Crates
The most often asked question I get is how do you ship a bird?
Poultry is shipped via the United Postal Service. This includes doves and pigeons. They have their own standards and conditions for shipping. Most breeders do NOT use the USPS because there is no controls set on the handling of birds in transit.
There are 2 airlines that will ship parakeets, Delta and United (formally Continental). They have basically the same guidelines and requirements for shipping but Delta is more restrictive on weather and locations. Delta is also more expensive. Birds may fly either on passanger flights as cargo or on strictly cargo flights depending on where they are flying. Cargo areas/flights are temperature and pressure controlled.
You do not need a health certificate to ship birds, but you can request a vet certification if you wish to pay for one from any breeder. This should be done a maximum of 10 days prior to flight. I will happily take your bird(s) in for a check at my avian vet for the cost of a standard avian vet visit. Please ask me for further details and prices if you are interested.
Every breeder has their own style for a shipping crate. Some use wooden crates with divider panels and wire venting. Others use modified pet carriers. Regardless of what you use, there are some requirements you must follow for your birds to be allowed to ship.
Containers must allow enough room for all the birds to be able to move around freely. I use pet carriers as they are easily obtained at anytime of the year and can be sterilized and reused multiple times. You may find carriers in good condition at garage sales and local classifieds as well as in pet stores. An average sized small pet carrier will comfortably fit 4-5 scarlets. A medium 5-8 birds. Carriers must be solid plastic and only 1 door access. The best shipping carriers only have ventilation on the top portion. Scarlets do not take well to drafts. It also allows them to feel more secure like they are hiding.
The container must keep ALL parts of the animal within the container (no beaks, feet or feathers can poke outside of the container) and coverings must not restrict the ventilation in the container nor extend outside the container. You can modify the ventilation for colder weather but you cannot completely restrict it. I use fiberglass "window" screen for modifications. I use zipties to easily install and hold the screen over the vents and on the door. I cut the screen an extra 1/2 to 1 inch beyond the vent/door to provide extra coverage so birds can't sneak up underneath. In colder weather I add duct tape to the door to reduce the draft but I still use the screen to prevent parts from getting around the edges of the door gap. Feed all zipties from the outside to prevent leaving sharp edges that could injury birds. Pull all zipties tight - do NOT leave loops that could later catch a toe or beak and cause damage.
Inside the container you must include a non-skid "permanent" flooring that will not shift around during transit. You may not add bedding materials such as shavings, straw or nesting materials that could come loose from the container and go all over. I use the no-skid stuff you use to line kitchen drawers ziptied to the bottom of the crate and paper towel over the top of that for better absorbing.
A perch must be installed for perching type birds. A wooden dowel can be easily screwed in place across the width of the carrier. Keep perches low to prevent injury if birds fall off. Babies especially can be clumsy and hurt themselves.
All food and water containers must be "permanently" mounted to prevent them from sliding and tipping during transit (or feeding). Containers must be provided even if food is scattered on the flooring. Some carriers will come with feeding containers that will fit on the door bars or can be modified to be mounted on the side of the carrier. You can use any type of container otherwise - I like Stage 1 or 2 plastic baby food containers or shallow rectangular plastic food storage containers from the dollar store.
Enough food must be provided for a 24 hour period, employees will NOT open a crate to feed animals. Ideally the container door should be "locked" so that it cannot be opened manually until arrival. I use zipties around the top and bottom of the door to permanently hold the door closed. I also add zipties to several areas around the seal of the carrier (where the top and bottom come together) to create a permanent lock. Think "If this carrier was dropped - could it pop open?" When you are done the answer should be NO!. But don't make it so hard the new owner has to spend 30 minutes and bolt cutters to get it open again!
It is not recommended to ship birds with actual water - it will only slosh around and get the birds wet. Instead use high moisture foods like fruits and veggies to provide water. Your birds should be accustom to eating fruits and veggies beforehand to prevent them from not eating these because they are unfamiliar. Things like celery, lettuce, watermelon and apples are good choices. Scarlets don't usually like citrus type fruits (oranges, lemons etc).
Crate your birds at the last minute to give them the maximum amount of time in their familiar environment (and time to eat before transit). But give yourself enough time to be able to calmly transfer the birds. Take time to look them over, do wing and nail trims if you provide them. Then "lock" the carrier and head to the airport.
Give yourself enough time. You must arrive 2 hours prior to the flight for check in. You likely will have to wait in line with all the other people checking in for flights (if you have to check in with the ticket desk), so if it is a busy time or season for flights, give yourself extra time. ALWAYS carry a hard copy of the flight plan and confirmation that was sent to you from the airline. ALWAYS confirm flight times and numbers from what you have to what the airline has on their paperwork at check in. The airline desk people are NOT specifically pet attendants and do not always have the correct flight schedules. If the paperwork has not been filled out ahead of time or correctly, it can take over an hour to fill it out and do all the necessary checks and confirmations needed to ship. Remember these checks are necessary to provide the correct and best flight possible for your birds and the attendants do their best to move things along - be patient. Also you will have to pay the flight fee with a credit card at shipping so make sure you charge the buyer for the flight - there is no C.O.D. There are a lot of stickers and forms that need to be attached to the outside of the crate - if you have additional paperwork to send with the birds you might be able to fit it in with the airline paperwork but otherwise attach it in a way that it won't interfere or can be covered by, the airline paperwork. You can put it in a ziplock bag in the carrier under the mat too. I use our foodsaver and vacuum seal a bag with my paperwork to reduce bulk and prevent damage. Do NOT attach to the outside bottom of the crate - it can easily get lost.
When you make your flight arrangements you will receive a confirmation email with all your information (EXCEPT arrival time!). It is common courtesy to forward this email to the buyer so they can have it to follow too. Once you have checked your birds you will receive an airway bill number - this is the tracking number for those specific birds - send that to the buyer when you get home. If there is any problem or either of you wish to track the progress the airway bill number is what is needed, NOT the confirmation number.
It is the buyer's responsibility (though you can be nice and ask at scheduling and let them know) to find out where they need to pick up the birds. Sometimes it is at the cargo window (which can be in a separate building) or at the baggage claim window. Depending on time of day they may have to go to the ticket window (and wait in line) to get someone to go to baggage to check them out. A photo ID is required for pick up - so when you are shipping you need to get the name, address and phone number of the PERSON PICKING UP if it is not the buyer themselves.
HINTS: If it is inclement weather (ie. cold, rainy, etc.) cover the carrier with a blanket to prevent drafts going from (or to) your car.
Park as close to the airport as you can to minimize the transit time. If its paid parking (expect to be there an hour), have change ready.
If you have multiple airports close to you - when arranging flights have the airline check different airports (especially if they are having trouble getting connections) for the shortest flight...it isn't always the biggest airport.
Either shipper or receiver can schedule a flight but when scheduling be courteous to the other side and unless they have said otherwise - don't schedule for a super early or super late arrival.